Beth Martineau: Podcast Interview w/ Kaelynn
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[00:00:00]
Beth Martineau: I, I'm gonna say this too. When you are creating something that God has asked you to create, there's always opposition. And I have felt more opposition in my life with Soul Heart than I have ever felt. It is very real, and that's a very dark and heavy thing to say, but this needs to be said a lot more.
Kaelynn Priest: said.
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm. I have never had dark experiences like I have had when I am about to do something that will be good for the world. It's not great. But
Kaelynn Priest: actually
Beth Martineau: again,
Kaelynn Priest: bit emotional because I feel that. Yeah
Beth Martineau: and I think that's where a lot of LDS people stop their businesses, is because they lean into that more, and you have to recognize where it's coming from.
[00:01:00] I cannot wait to bring to you this conversation with my dear, dear friend Beth Martineau. You're going to hear so much vulnerability and authenticity from her, which I, I knew she would bring because that's how she is just as a regular person. If you go to lunch with Beth, you're gonna hear her share stories just like the ones that you hear from her today on the show, which I really appreciate because as a business owner, it can feel so lonely when you're going through really big challenges, but nobody else is talking about them publicly because we're all managing the public image of our brands as we should be.
And so sometimes it just feels like you're the only one going through things like this. So I'm so grateful that Beth brought her authenticity and vulnerability to this conversation. Beth is the founder of a brand called Salt and Heart. It's a product business with all different types of products that build your faith in the Savior Jesus Christ.
Her core product is a card set. She has multiple variations that go along with the Come Follow Me themes [00:02:00] each year, but she has these card sets that you... It's a beautiful card that sits in a wood stand that you can leave on your counter, um, that you can share with your kids. It makes scripture study and conversation so easy.
People, when they come over, can see it on your counter as well. And now she has all kinds of products ranging from jewelry to sweatshirts and all sorts of beautiful things. So make sure to check out her website. The link is in the show notes. But without further ado, I can't wait to bring to you this conversation with my dear, dear friend Beth
Kaelynn Priest: Would you tell your origin story? Like, give us the
Beth Martineau: so I was teaching and I tore my ACL, right?
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
Beth Martineau: that moment was like ripping a, your wings off of a butterfly. You have this beautiful butterfly that you know where you are. I totally knew my identity, I totally knew what I was doing, but I did feel for a very long time that something, that God had something for me.
And for like five years actually, which is an interesting number too, right? So I kept getting this deep, deep, deep feeling that [00:03:00] there was something for me that I should be doing, and it's just not time yet. And so it was kind of this anxious feeling, and it was always in the back of my mind. And when I tore my ACL, the identity left of who I was for my ent- my entire life, 'cause I danced for my entire life, right?
And had this amazing career.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm.
Beth Martineau: And everyone knew me for that identity, right? And then my... But I knew my family needed me in a different way. I knew I needed to be in a different way, just 'cause some other thing that, other things that were happening. And it made me really reflect on who I wanted to be and where my life was going in the next 10, 15, 20, 30 years.
Then I got COVID right immediately after it, and it was when we were in our room for 10 days, like you had to be away.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
Beth Martineau: I had all of this time where I sat. I had to sit, because I was physically could not move.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah. Were you still,
Beth Martineau: And
Kaelynn Priest: like, ACL
Beth Martineau: No, I didn't have [00:04:00] surgery yet because we wanted to wait until after summer,
Kaelynn Priest: Gotcha
Beth Martineau: Anyway, but I so it was, it was actually right in that September time of when this happened, where the kids went to school, I was stuck with COVID, and I was injured.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm.
Beth Martineau: was, around me was falling apart, and I truly believe that that's when Heavenly Father is, "Your life is falling apart. I'm going to pick up the pieces and I'm going to create something more beautiful than you could ever imagine."
And that's what Salt and Hart is,
Kaelynn Priest: Wow.
Beth Martineau: 100%.
Kaelynn Priest: Wow
Beth Martineau: It's, it's a miracle. It's really... And I, because of that, and because of the origin of how it was created, it wasn't my idea. It wasn't something that I said, "Oh, this would be cool." It, I treat it with utmost respect, and I treat my life with utmost respect because I consider myself, my new identity is the middle man to God.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm.
Beth Martineau: the middle man to God for other, for thousands of other people,
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
Beth Martineau: and I align my life with that identity of who I am.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: That's something [00:05:00] I've always really respected about you is, , I really feel like you treat your business as sacred.
Beth Martineau: Yes
Kaelynn Priest: like the actual contents of your business are literally sacred, which is unique. But I really feel like you have this strong, strong feeling... It's not a feeling. Calling
that you know and understand,
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: and that you, like, steward is the word
that comes to my mind.
Like,
Beth Martineau: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: a business, but really you're... I love the word middleman, too. Like, you're the liaison.
Beth Martineau: yeah, it's kind of fun to think about you're the middleman, right?
Kaelynn Priest: and like, not just growing a business, but also bringing souls to Christ
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: your business.
How
Beth Martineau: and my blessing has two different paragraphs about this, and one is about being creative, and I always thought that was with dance. I always thought, "Well, 'cause it's... That's a creative outlet," and I did a lot of good with that, too, with teaching, teaching young kids and, But now I see...
And it talks about teaching scriptures, [00:06:00] and I need to be studying the scriptures more because I'm going to be teaching people the scriptures. And I n- I never understood those two things, and then when Salt and the Heart was created, it, it really brought all of that together and it made sense. And that's another reason why I treat it the way I do, is because I've been told multiple times that this is what I'm supposed to be
Kaelynn Priest: what you're supposed to do. Yeah
Beth Martineau: doing.
Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: I will you tell, can you share like the experience of when God revealed Salt and Heart to you? Like, what,
Beth Martineau: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: what was the experience like? Was the product immediately clear, or was the mission clear first? Walk us through what that looks like
Beth Martineau: Well, it originally started where I... So I, you know, I couldn't really, I was, I couldn't do much, right? And so I was struggling with how am I going to teach my kids the scriptures, and how am I going to do this? How, how am I gonna do this summer? Because everything is kind of falling apart, right? [00:07:00] Including myself.
And I did not wanna read the scriptures. I didn't wanna do anything. I just felt, you know when you feel completely lost, and, like, Heavenly Father has taken something away from you that you felt was everything that you had, and you get a little angry? And I was a little angry. And so I'm like, "I'm just gonna go through Come Follow Me and just choose one scripture a week, and then put it out."
And, 'cause I had some design background a little bit, right? And so I, so I, I was like, "I'm just gonna com- print it at home, and I'm gonna put it out, and my kids can see it at least in the kitchen, and so I feel like I'm doing something," right? 'Cause I didn't wanna do anything.
Kaelynn Priest: that.
Beth Martineau: And then friends came over, and they saw it, and they wanted, they wanted it, too.
And so I thought, "Okay, well, whatever." Like, I didn't really know. And so that's kind of how the Come Follow Me set was for the Old Testament, was the first product.
Kaelynn Priest: first one. Oh, how cool is that?
Beth Martineau: And it was completely by accident, completely not expected [00:08:00] at all. And then I look back and see it was line upon line upon line upon line.
It was never a big aha moment of, boom, this is it, and this is what you're supposed to be doing. It was small little baby steps of, of where I am supposed to be and where the business is supposed to be. I didn't mean to create a business. This is not where I was... This is, this was never on my bingo card of life ever.
But again, looking back and knowing that I received those promptings for a good five years,
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
Beth Martineau: what my blessing says, knowing some other things that have happened, I, I know, like, this is where it, I am supposed to be and where, what is created. Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: It's so refreshing to hear a business owner of your, if it's okay if I say caliber, like this is not a small business. This is a
Beth Martineau: Oh. No.
Kaelynn Priest: large
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: I'll say it 'cause you won't. So
Beth Martineau: I won't say it.
Kaelynn Priest: so
Beth Martineau: get, like, nervous [00:09:00] hearing that.
Kaelynn Priest: It's cool to hear... This is the, the side of the conversation that we don't always get to- we almost never get to hear from founders of businesses, this perspective of it didn't, this didn't materialize overnight.
This was years of daily bread, like
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: line upon line and small little steps revealed to me, and your original products were your card sets.
Beth Martineau: Yes. Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: a amazing umbrella of products that all point people to Jesus Christ. So tell us a little bit, if you have a- advice for the business owner who's feeling like, "Oh, this should have happened by now.
This should be working by now," what would you say to them?
Beth Martineau: Keep going and keep praying and keep trusting. I think we look at businesses and we see all their successes, right? We just see what's on Instagram. We just see... Hopefully I'm... I try to be incredibly real on Instagram.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah. Yeah
Beth Martineau: um, there are so [00:10:00] many times where things have failed, and you just have to make sure that you don't beat yourself up over it or don't say, "Well then..."
Or you just don't throw in the towel. I think one gift that God has given me is my determination, my stubbornness, and my workaholicism.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm.
Beth Martineau: That is very connected to my dance background. If I didn't get something right, you do it again, you do it again, you do it again. And that is in me, and I use that in every facet of my life, honestly.
Like my parenting, my marriage. You just try it again and maybe try something different or think of it in a different way. 'Cause there's been a lot of fails on my end but you just say, "Well, that didn't work," and then you just keep going.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: A story of one that comes to mind that you feel comfortable sharing of, like, something that just did not go very well? And then, you know, maybe there's a, an end point of the story where it all worked out, or maybe there's not. But is there something that comes to mind?
Beth Martineau: I don't have, like, one specific product or one specific moment. Maybe it was a post, and [00:11:00] I... And then, but honestly, like, I, I know Instagram is hard, and I think we look at these bigger accounts and say, "Man, they just have the sweet sauce," right?
They just have the special, the special thing. But again, you don't see everything that goes on in the background of this post failed. But I treat a post that failed into, okay, well, I know that this is not going to work, so I'm going to pivot quickly and maybe try a different way. Or sometimes we're trying to push our ideas onto people or push something that we're learning onto people, and it's not resonating with them.
And so speaking to them in a very kind and loving and understanding way of something that they're going through always resonates more than what I'm going through. Same thing with products. What... Th- this product that I have is something that I love and I want. I actually learned this from you a long time ago.
Isn't this funny? I did, I learned this from [00:12:00] you. Uh-huh. Because a long time ago, when you had your baby business, you were... And you wanted colors, and people didn't want colors. That, I always have that in my mind. Isn't that funny?
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
Beth Martineau: You wanna create things that you wanna create, but you have to remember who you're speaking to.
And again, if I'm the middleman, I, uh, it's not about me, and your business is not about you. Your Instagram page is not about you. It's about the people that you're serving, and it's about the people that you are trying to reach outside of even your community, and that's where true success comes from. That, that's your true success.
When you can start to understand your customers, understand your followers, and really get to know them in their heart, that's when products succeed, Instagram succeeds, your relationships outside of the business with your community succeed because you're connected together
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm. that's so interesting.
Beth Martineau: any sense at all?
Kaelynn Priest: No, it makes beautiful sense
Beth Martineau: I just feel like a lot [00:13:00] of people when they're starting their business, they're like, "I love this because I think it's cool."
Kaelynn Priest: Yes. I love
Beth Martineau: They don't really think, "Well, what is this going to impact the world?" Or, ~"How can I, ~how can I touch someone's heart?" Or, "How can I make this person's life better?"
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
Beth Martineau: You know?
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah,
Beth Martineau: yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: so Beth's talking about, like, I specifically remember a time that I put, like, a, a poll in my stories asking about colors for baby mats. I asked for color- I asked for... I do this all the time, actually. My business is basically built off of Instagram story polls,
Beth Martineau: So is mine.
Kaelynn Priest: just like, "What do the people want?"
Like, I have my ideas what I would like to do, but what do the people want? Which is a important business skill, right? It's great to be able to create something. It's even better to create something that's actually in demand.
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: So I would ask people all the time, like, "What do you guys think about these colors?"
And all the time, like, I would put, like, pink and blue and yellow, which are colors that I love, and people would always pick the neutrals. Also, this was, like, very, like, 2020 to
Beth Martineau: Neutral [00:14:00] time.
Kaelynn Priest: neutrals. I feel like now people are moving back more to color. But I do think that's an important business skill, to be able to assess, what is God asking me to do, what do the people want, and how can I build, like, the intersection between the two that is serviceful and helpful to
people?
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: Are there any beliefs that you've had to shift about yourself, about, you know, beliefs that maybe you adopted from your background in the church that you've had to adjust or mold or to be able to create the business that you've created?
Beth Martineau: Daily. Daily. 'Cause I
Kaelynn Priest: that.
Beth Martineau: told you, I'm not a very good s- I don't feel like I'm a very well-spoken speaker. I can write and write and write. But something, uh... And that's a belief that I tell myself constantly. I have a really, this is very vulnerable and opening the doors, I do not trust myself with lots of things.
I [00:15:00] feel, like this is a gift as well. I, I am I, how do I say this the right way? I don't consider myself very shiny, is the word that I use. You know, does that make any sense at all? I don't know what, I don't know how to word that. I, I am my worst critic.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm.
Beth Martineau: I, because of my stubbornness and my perfectionism and a little bit of OCD and lots of anxiety that I have, to be very honest, I look at something and I overanalyze and I overthink. And I, I have learned... And again, that is from dance background, and looking at something over and over and over and over and over again, doing a step over and over and over and over again.
And with dance, it's never perfect.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm.
Beth Martineau: that was always embedded in me, too. And so with this, it's, I have had to learn that it, what I put out in the world, if it's, if I'm aligned with Heavenly Father and [00:16:00] it's what, it's what I'm supposed to be doing, it will work out. Today was a perfect example. I, I did this post, and it's just a little post, and I always do digital downloads 'cause I love giving things for free and I love helping people.
And I spent probably four hours on it, and I usually don't, because I kept looking at it and overanalyzing it. And finally I was like, "Whatever. I can't, like I can't. I need to stop 'cause I'm driving myself crazy."
Kaelynn Priest: Yes
Beth Martineau: it out, and the moment I hit post, I was like, "This is gonna bomb." That's what I said in my mind, and it hasn't.
It's done very well. And I, I, those moments, which happen a lot, actually, I have to remember that I am not in charge. And when I do the work and when I am aligned and I say my prayers and I continually create the environment that I need to create to create what I need to create,
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah. Yep
Beth Martineau: It always works out.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: Always works out.
Kaelynn Priest: There's some, some way that you've been able to overcome, like, so, so, so many women, I [00:17:00] think a lot of women who are listening to this podcast have the idea perfectionism is keeping them stuck. What for you is, like, the little step that bridges the gap where it's like, see you perfectionism, and also I'm gonna put it out anyway"?
Like, how do, how have you bridged that gap for yourself?
Beth Martineau: If you don't start and you don't take action, 'cause I also am a firm believer in action, you're never going to learn and you're never going to grow. If you are stuck in this waiting phase, y- you will be stuck there forever. You will always be stuck. You have to take that first step. It's going to be terrifying.
It's going to feel... Actually, I read, I listened to a quote yesterday. I can't remember what it was. It was, "Your, the best version of yourself is on the other side of what you fear." And I was like, that is it. That is it with everything. That's, it was business. That's it with who you want to become. If you have an idea of who you want to become, that is it.
So you have to take that first step, and it's gonna be [00:18:00] messy. It's gonna be scary. Your gut is gonna feel gross inside. You might,
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: you know, I know that feeling, but if you don't even do it, you're never gonna see and you're never gonna grow. That first step isn't permanent,
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
Beth Martineau: right? Like, it's just the first little baby step.
So you just keep moving. Nothing is built on a one big leap.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah. Mm.
That is so
Beth Martineau: tiny baby steps, and being willing to pivot. Being willing to say, "Okay, this isn't working anymore. I have to go this way," or, "This doesn't feel right with the spirit anymore," which happens a lot with me.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: need to go this way."
Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: I would imagine, I'll speak for myself, that I feel... Uh, maybe this isn't fully accurate. I was gonna say I feel fear pretty often in, in my business. I'm like, that's not always true, because I also feel, like, fear and faith simultaneously. But I, I guess I do feel, like, anxious or nervous a lot of the time in my business. I'm curious if there are... [00:19:00] if you feel the same way, first of all, and what are some of the things that you've done to be able to make it so that you can manage the feelings while also running a very successful business, and the team that's supporting you behind the scenes. What are you doing to keep your fear at bay?
Beth Martineau: Prayers. A lot, a lot, a lot of prayers. I have also eliminated things that I don't need in my life. TV shows. This is gonna sound a little weird
Kaelynn Priest: this
Beth Martineau: I cannot... I wish I could scream this at the top of a mountain. Because this is something that feels very odd, and when I have conversations to people, they're like, "Oh, have you seen this show?"
I'm like, "No, I really haven't." And I actually learned this. My husband's uncle was in the general young men's presidency. And one time I was... We were talking about movies and, and I said, "Hey, have you seen this movie?" And he's like, "I don't watch that." And I immediately thought, "Well, that, that's weird." But then after thinking about it, I'm like, yeah, he can't because he has to be close to the [00:20:00] spirit.
And really, in the eternities, does that show matter? No. Mm. And so I have eliminated most TV shows. Music, I really only listen to things that bring the spirit, and it has calmed my spirit and my body. There's, I still have moments, right? But that has been incredibly helpful. This is vulnerable, too. I we moved out of our fulfillment center last year
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm.
Beth Martineau: because we felt very, very strongly to do so, and my husband felt very strongly, which means we need to do it, 'cause he, he gets an impression, you do it.
He's, he doesn't get a lot-
Kaelynn Priest: same
Beth Martineau: so I know when he's, you know.
Kaelynn Priest: Yep
Beth Martineau: And it was very expensive. It, terrifying. So it's in my backyard, and we have space in my backyard 'cause we live very out west and we, we live by farms, right? And so we moved out of this warehouse, and we built this, and it was so expensive.
I had product coming out of my ears in my house in the summertime. My house [00:21:00] was a bomb. There was construction going on in my back. I would lay in my bed and have kind of panic attacks of, how am I gonna pay for this? How am I gonna do this? What am I doing? But it's in those moments where I had to rely on the spirit that told me this is going to be okay, and I can rely on that because I know I'm eliminating things that are driving the spirit away, right?
Like, my life is centered around Christ. And in order to feel and receive what I need, I had to remove those things.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm.
Beth Martineau: So when the fear comes in, and, "Am I supposed to be doing this?" comes in, I can rely on the spirit because I know where it came from.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm.
Beth Martineau: Does that make any sense at all? It's a beautiful alignment.
I encourage everyone that has an LDS business to please eliminate things that you don't really need. Like, just, I know it sounds crazy a little bit . But if you have an inkling of, maybe I shouldn't be listening to this, or is this [00:22:00] bringing, is this inviting the spirit into my life? If your business is centered around the gospel,
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm.
Beth Martineau: rid of it.
You're not gonna miss it. I'm telling you, you are not gonna miss it. But you are going to miss the spirit when you need it. For sure
Kaelynn Priest: Wow, that's actually giving me, like, full body chills.
Beth Martineau: Yeah. It's, it's
Kaelynn Priest: guess because
Beth Martineau: the truth.
Kaelynn Priest: apparently own an LBS business, and I'm like, my ears are
Beth Martineau: I'm telling you. And
Kaelynn Priest: hearing
you
Beth Martineau: it fills my heart, 'cause I, I know ... it just creates this alignment again of ... it's all about the alignment.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah
Beth Martineau: You're really, really aligning your life and the outside of your life, outside of your business, with what the Lord has asked you to do. Then you're kind of like halfway doing it, right?
You're living this life, and then you're living the business life, like your eldest business life. You're kind of like ... To me, it was like I'm, I'm teetering, right? And so I got rid of the teeter.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: So you now not only own an LDS business, but [00:23:00] you're... It makes me think of the mission field. Did you s- you served a mission, right?
Beth Martineau: No, I didn't.
Kaelynn Priest: I was thinking you did
Beth Martineau: No, it w- I was, I, I got married really young
Kaelynn Priest: You are serving a mission right now,
Beth Martineau: I know.
Kaelynn Priest: as a side note, it makes me think of, like, when I was in the mission field and, you
Beth Martineau: Okay
Kaelynn Priest: obviously the circumstances make it so that the outside entertainment is
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: limited. But, and
Beth Martineau: Ah
Kaelynn Priest: and we kind of talk about how, like, oh, that's like a weird phase of life, but it's like what if we actually made that not so weird?
Beth Martineau: Yes
Kaelynn Priest: we normalized that and made that, like, we do that on purpose and intentionally
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: that we can have the spirit with us more, so that we can hear God more easily, so that we can eliminate some of the negative forces that are working towards us all the time. That is really standing out to me right now
Beth Martineau: A thought that you would have never said about yourself, something in your life that has happened that you're, you just say, "Where did that come from?" Things falling apart [00:24:00] where you just want to give up. They're all true signs, unless you receive s- a confirmation from the Spirit that you're not supposed to be doing something, which I've also received.
Mm. But
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
Beth Martineau: there have been real, true experiences where I want to give up, and I have gone into anxiety and depression and I actually had a panic attack three weeks ago, right? And I, I... But out- This is what's so crazy. Outside of that, I am more aligned than I have been in a very long time. It was like my body needed to get rid of that.
Am I making sense at all? I... It, this is a hard thing to talk about, but it needs to be talked about.
Kaelynn Priest: I'm so glad you're talking about it
Beth Martineau: you will feel more opposition than you have ever had in your entire life, which means you're doing something right. So you, you have to k- stay close to the Lord and keep going, and there's so much beauty on the other side of it.
There's so much beauty, right? If you think about the story [00:25:00] of Joseph Smith, uh, in the Sacred Grove, it... And I, I don't want to align that the same thing 'cause that is so sacred, but it kind of is the same thing, right? Like, he's going to the Lord and asking, like, a- asking these questions. Satan comes in.
There's this horrible opposition, but outside of the opposition is love and comfort and encouragement and confidence and amazing things. Like, look where we are in the church, right? The same thing is, is true for your own individual life and your business.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
Beth Martineau: It's the exact same thing. I've witnessed it multiple times.
Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: I, you and I talked about this. I had a panic attack in Jan- I think it was January. I'd never had one before.
Beth Martineau: Oh, yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: so
Beth Martineau: super fun.
Kaelynn Priest: Not that, like, panic attack always needs to mean a sign of, like, anything. I, you know, but that feels very true for me.
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: Like,
Beth Martineau: Yeah. Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: a really, really dark season is [00:26:00] what literally led to this podcast being created.
Like, I only started talking about the Book of Mormon on Instagram a month ago. Like, this is very new for me. so thank you so much for saying that, 'cause I feel validated.
Beth Martineau: Yeah. I want others to feel validated too.
Kaelynn Priest: the only one.
Beth Martineau: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: I kinda joke about this, but I'm also kind of serious all the time. Like, I have a friend who's thinking about going into therapy, getting her therapy degree, and she wants to be a therapist for business owners.
Like, she also has an amazing business background, and I'm like,
Beth Martineau: I don't know what to say to that.
Kaelynn Priest: there's a need for that. There... this is not for the faint of heart, and this is the kind of stuff you will probably not often hear people talking about on Instagram, which just thank you so much, Beth, for being so honest and vulnerable.
I knew you would be, and so that's why I'm
Beth Martineau: I'm not very,
Kaelynn Priest: you're on
Beth Martineau: yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: That's
just who you are.
Beth Martineau: and it's just very lonely, so I think that would be good. It, and I don't think, you know, that's never talked about [00:27:00] either. You just always see the shiny things of it, right? It's very lonely and very hard. Yeah, it's lonely. Uh-huh. Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: you so much for sharing all that. Like, I f- I feel edified just by knowing not alone in this. And yeah, this stuff is not for the faint of heart. This is not, I feel like when I started my business, it was like, "Oh, fun, like, play money, side money." I had no idea what a personal development rollercoaster I was putting myself on. Wow. And I'm really glad, and I s- I love it, so I'm still here. But
Beth Martineau: Yeah, and that's another thing. On the outside of this, I'm so incredibly grateful. I am a different person because of PsalmHeart in the best ways. My family is different in the best ways. I would never want to go back to what I was and what my life was before. I,
Kaelynn Priest: like
Beth Martineau: yeah
Kaelynn Priest: like this, it feels like a mission for you. Like, this is, there was a turning point in your identity, in [00:28:00] patterns that were happening, maybe not so much patterns that were happening in your home, but tell me a little bit more if you had to paint like a before and after picture, walk me through what that would look like
Beth Martineau: Oh, I have a word and a feeling, 'cause that's kinda how I live my life, right? Is empty and full of facade, I think is before. Like, I was filling my life with things that I thought would make me happy, or on the, towards the world, like with the world was giving me success. And what I was always reaching for the next thing, right?
And now I, I feel constantly... How do I, I don't even know how to put this into words. There is a warmth and a spirit, and as if I'm being uplifted and edified continually. It is a different feeling. Like, the air [00:29:00] is completely different, 'cause the Spirit is there more, I know that. But because of that, my kids' life is more centered around Jesus Christ.
My whole perspective of eternity has changed, and I was LDS before. The, you know? Do you know what I mean? It's like when y- I've just been a, a new creature in Christ, and I, I feel like at that moment, th- and this is something that maybe is good for your life and for your business. But in that moment of your depths and your sadness and when things are crashing and you feel like you're losing everything, you really have two choices, right?
You can move towards that and really be sad and mad, and let that fester and grow, and that will lead you a different way. Or you can take a moment and breathe, and think, "What, what do I really want out of this?" Right? And [00:30:00] then lean towards the Lord, and reach towards who you're supposed to become through the Savior.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm-hmm.
Beth Martineau: And, and I see, we've seen both. We've seen people do one or the other, and the outcomes of that. And so I think same thing with your business is, like, and same thing with me. I had two choices. I c- I could have really crashed and burned, or I could be, I listen to the Spirit and, and realize that this is where I'm supposed to be going.
Does that make any sense?
Kaelynn Priest: Yes. One question I have for you is you are exceptionally good at receiving revelation for your business.
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: If we were a fly on the wall in your house, like what would they see? Like, do you, does your revelation come to you through prayer while you're on your knees?
Is it while you're reading your scriptures? Is it while you're driving in the car with your kids? Is it all of the above? What does that look like for
Beth Martineau: On the treadmill and in the shower
Kaelynn Priest: Oh, yes, 100%.
Beth Martineau: It really is. I'm not kidding. Yes.
Kaelynn Priest: most
Beth Martineau: and
Kaelynn Priest: That's
Beth Martineau: it always comes as [00:31:00] unexpected.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
Beth Martineau: I wake up really early, and I write, and I study. I create all of my Instagram stuff early in the morning, and then I get to work after that, and I pray. And so I, I work in the morning, and then I, like, walk on the treadmill or, you know, after.
And so I already have these thoughts going in my mind. And multiple times, I'm just running on the treadmill, and it's just like boop. Or I'm in the shower, and it's just b- boop. So it's always unexpected. Never, never do I pray and it's like, "Ah, heaven's open."
Kaelynn Priest: There it is.
Beth Martineau: Never.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm
Beth Martineau: never. And it's not a revelation of like, "This is what it is, and it's going to be perfect." It's always like, "Here's an idea. Now get to work."
Kaelynn Priest: Try
that.
Beth Martineau: And that is where I have learned so much, right? About production, about manufacturing, about my website, about SEO, about... Like, that's where you learn your business is, again, that first step.
It's never like, "Here's a perfect product, and you don't have to work." Like, it's, [00:32:00] it's never that. It's always like, "Here's an idea. Now run." Okay.
Kaelynn Priest: Now go figure it out.
Beth Martineau: Uh-huh, and you will figure it out. Yeah. Uh-huh.
Kaelynn Priest: does, what does figuring it out for you look like? Are you hiring mentors, buying courses, just googling it, figuring it out?
Beth Martineau: It's just figuring it out. I just get to work and figure it out. Ask a lot of questions. Yeah, just figure it out, and just being okay to fail. You get a, you get a sample back and you're like, "That is not what I want."
Kaelynn Priest: That's not it. Yeah.
Beth Martineau: And that, and being okay with the money of that too, right?
Like, samples are expensive, and you just have to be like, "Well, that didn't work. Do it again," right? And, and know that it will be okay. Yeah. Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: Okay, I wanna ask you some rapid fire questions.
Beth Martineau: Okay.
Kaelynn Priest: Okay, where did the name Salt and Heart come from?
Beth Martineau: Like that was inspiration. That was revelation.
Kaelynn Priest: you.
Beth Martineau: Yeah, I was studying the scriptures and salt came in of scriptures, and then hart is actually the name of a deer going to water in the Old Testament.
Kaelynn Priest: Really?
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm.[00:33:00]
Kaelynn Priest: I did
Beth Martineau: And
Kaelynn Priest: that
Beth Martineau: yeah, and so when you think about reading the scriptures and having the salt come into you of like savor and s- and saving, right?
Like the preservation of that. And then how we want our hearts to be is constantly drinking the, the the living water,
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm.
Beth Martineau: right? That's... Those two words are together.
Kaelynn Priest: love that. I didn't know that.
Beth Martineau: Yeah. Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: Tell us about your barn.
Beth Martineau: Oh my gosh. Yes. Yes. So long story short, my husband's boss' father passed away and we went to his funeral, and in the funeral he owned a business. And he was able to provide work for so many people who could not get a job and needed to pr- provide for their family. And I have been feeling this for a long time.
Chad did not, because he knew how hard it was going to be. And, uh, the weekend passed by, on Monday he came home from work and he got out of the truck and he said, "We need to do it." That [00:34:00] was it. And I looked at him and I said, "I know." Like, "I've been feeling like this forever." And I... It was just kind of all came about.
Like my neighbor knows how to build pole barns. It's a pole barn kind
Kaelynn Priest: I
Beth Martineau: So it just... And I'm able to give work to young girls who are so busy but need jobs for, like, gas money and all of these things.
Kaelynn Priest: that
Beth Martineau: I truly believe that this is creating more tithing, if that makes sense, too. Because
Kaelynn Priest: I
Beth Martineau: creating, I'm paying tithing, and then I pay them, they pay tithing.
Like I, I... That's how I... I, I don't know why I received this inspiration one day, but I did. It was like magnifying tithing and which is magnifying the work of the Lord. Because we're all... What... So what you pay for as a customer, I pay tithing on what I receive as a person. I'm also paying my, my employees, who are also paying tithing.
Kaelynn Priest: paint tithing.
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm. So there's a lot of,
Kaelynn Priest: love
Beth Martineau: there's a lot of negativity to, I get a lot [00:35:00] of this actually, of you're creating things about Christ but making money off of it, and I do not see it that way. I have been able to support people and give Christmases to people. And I don't say this flashy or shiny. It has been... And because I create this with such honor and respect and sacredness, again, the money is also very sacred.
So what can I do to, what can I do to provide good in the world, right? So I can create a, a Christmas for a, a family who is r- has nothing. Like, they... It was bad, right? I'm able to magnify tithing. I am able to, I can't say all the things. But do you know what I mean?
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah. Yeah.
Beth Martineau: yeah. So it's... You need to think about money differently.
Money is not bad.
Kaelynn Priest: Oh my
Beth Martineau: Money is the work of the Lord.
Kaelynn Priest: Can I have you back for another episode? Can we?
Beth Martineau: It is the work. Think about all of our man- humanitarian work the church does.
Kaelynn Priest: man.
Beth Martineau: That cannot happen without money. That cannot happen without businesses. That cannot happen without tithing. Where does that tithing [00:36:00] come from? Right?
Kaelynn Priest: 100%.
Beth Martineau: 100%.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm. Can you say more about what you were saying about how people are like, "How can you make money off of this, these products that are about
Beth Martineau: All
Kaelynn Priest: Walk me through
Beth Martineau: the time. I actually had that thought this morning. Sometimes I am always like, "What am I doing?" You know what I mean? So again, it's like you get these ideas, and you just have to push them away and remember what, where, what you're called to do. But I... There was a moment I was really, really struggling with the money part of it, right?
And it was just that personal revelation that I received about tithing, and it was when I was paying my tithing or, and I was paying my employees, and I was like, "You know what? They're gonna be paying tithing from this right now." I, it, it tripled or... You know what I mean?
Kaelynn Priest: That '
Beth Martineau: cause I have, what, seven employees,
Kaelynn Priest: Do you really?
Beth Martineau: eight employees.
Yeah, on and off, right?
Kaelynn Priest: and they all come to the barn
Beth Martineau: They all...
Kaelynn Priest: Or are
they
Beth Martineau: I have [00:37:00] customer service, and I have, uh, marketing, and I have, you know... But they are all LDS. They're all paying tithing.
Kaelynn Priest: cool.
Beth Martineau: So nine, 10 of us are paying tithing, right?
Kaelynn Priest: How cool is that?
Beth Martineau: Yeah, I don't... And for, it was that moment where I was like, "I don't feel bad anymore," you know? I don't.
And when I hear what people say about the products and the difference that they have made in the world, I can't, like, that has to be produced, right? That has to be created and made.
Kaelynn Priest: it has a cost.
Beth Martineau: has a cost. I can't do this for free. Like, I, I'd be homeless. Like, I
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: No, that's impossible.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: So I do-
Kaelynn Priest: interesting to me if I, actually think I might do an episode about, like, let's think about Deseret Book.
Beth Martineau: Oh.
Kaelynn Priest: walk into Deseret Book and think, "How dare they? Charging money
Beth Martineau: I thought about that too, 'cause I'm writing books for Desert Book.
Kaelynn Priest: Y-
Beth Martineau: I know.
Kaelynn Priest: Like, you're in Deseret
Beth Martineau: I am Desert Book, yeah
Kaelynn Priest: For some reason, that to us, we, like, don't even think about it, but when it's someone who starts a small business, we're like, "Oh, I [00:38:00] don't know if I feel okay about that."
But how
Beth Martineau: Like a real person.
Kaelynn Priest: Exactly, right?
Beth Martineau: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: Can you talk about your Deseret Book projects?
Beth Martineau: Uh, I don't know if I can.
Kaelynn Priest: Okay,
Beth Martineau: I have two. They're coming out in the spring of next year. I don't know if I'll...
Kaelynn Priest: really? How
Beth Martineau: Yeah, isn't that crazy?
Kaelynn Priest: I'm, I love knowing that. I'll take that out of
Beth Martineau: I'll take you, I'll tell you later.
Kaelynn Priest: Okay, cool. I love it. Okay, my next question for you is... Oh, I think I had one more question about the barn.
So you moved all of your ful- fulfillment from a fulfillment center to your barn. So all your products are in your barn now,
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: your own employees are
Beth Martineau: Yes.
Kaelynn Priest: packaging and shipping now.
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: So cool. I
Beth Martineau: So cool.
Kaelynn Priest: What was my other question for you? Oh, what, uh, I don't know if I love this question. I'm gonna ask you anyway.
What's your favorite product yours right now?
Beth Martineau: Use that pink necklaces just 'cause it's just like the new thing
Kaelynn Priest: They're so amazing. Will you talk about them? [00:39:00] You
Beth Martineau: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: see, but Beth's wearing her new Cristas necklaces. She has two. Two? Are there more than two?
Beth Martineau: I have two. I have more coming,
Kaelynn Priest: Okay.
Beth Martineau: Hopefully in the next couple months, hopefully.
Kaelynn Priest: gosh, so fun.
Beth Martineau: Production is interesting.
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah, always. Always
Beth Martineau: But ~with, ~with you as a business owner, you have to learn, you, and you know this, you have to learn what you're good at, and then get rid of the things that you are not good at or don't want to do.
So I have things that I will never let go of, right? Instagram creation, 'cause I love it, even though it's a lot,
Kaelynn Priest: Yes
Beth Martineau: product creation. I will never let go of those two things. Everything else, I don't... Like, do you wanna take this? You wanna do that? Whatever. But, like, I will never let go of those two things.
Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: Also, thank you for being a voice saying that you love creating Instagram content.
Beth Martineau: I love it
Kaelynn Priest: I think that's so important 'cause everyone's like, "Oh, it's Instagram is just, it's just headed downhill." And I'm like, "You are just not following the right people."[00:40:00]
Beth Martineau: no. I hope it's not gone. I love it. Where else... Guys,
Kaelynn Priest: too.
Beth Martineau: where
Kaelynn Priest: too
Beth Martineau: else do you, can you reach thousands of people? 'Cause even if you don't have the following, you're still reaching people, or like, it's still there.
Kaelynn Priest: Totally
Beth Martineau: else can you do that and touch lives?
Kaelynn Priest: love
Beth Martineau: It's been an amazing experience. And it, again, it's not...
You, with Instagram, you have to learn how to pivot. You have to learn how to be like, "Okay, this is not working. Try something else." And if you're not speaking to the one, you're not going to... It's not going to succeed. So some, like, you're, you... When you're in your creation process, think about one person, think about what that person needs, and then write.
Yeah?
Kaelynn Priest: I love that.
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: So good
Beth Martineau: Can't speak to everyone. That's literally impossible, like, with your . But we're all thinking that.
Kaelynn Priest: That's just really good business advice in general.
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: really good, like, there is a little bit of an art. know why I hesitated on saying art. There's a little bit of a [00:41:00] something to learn. There's a
learning curve with creating content that does really well and content that doesn't do very well.
But ~one of the, ~one of those things is instead of trying to talk to 500 people at once, which will make your message watered down and sound like everyone else's, just talk to one specific person, one specific story, will help your content so much. You're, you guys are getting free business coaching while you're listening to this podcast too.
You're welcome.
Beth Martineau: But again, I learned that from my, my uncle, or Chad's uncle, when he was creating general conference talks. It was the same thing, 'cause we were like, "How do you speak to millions of people?" And he said, "I don't. I speak to one person that I know, that I've met in my ministry, and I speak to that one person."
Mm-hmm.
Kaelynn Priest: my
Beth Martineau: when you think they're giving these talks to mi- millions of people, I think most of the time they're not. They're speaking to one person
Kaelynn Priest: What a cool perspective.
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm
Beth Martineau: changes the way you think of Instagram, right?
Kaelynn Priest: I love that
Beth Martineau: Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: much.
Beth Martineau: Yeah[00:42:00]
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: So I'll get
Kaelynn Priest: else-
Beth Martineau: a, sorry, I'll get a DM one ti- this actually just happened a month ago. I got a DM asking, someone asking a question, "How do you do this?" Or like, "What do you think about this in the temple?" And I was like, "That's a really good question.
Let's c- create a post about that." And it did,
Kaelynn Priest: Oh, that's
Beth Martineau: it did well. But again, I was talking to her, you know? Anyway.
Kaelynn Priest: cool.
Beth Martineau: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: That was all my rapid fire questions. I can't think of any more.
Beth Martineau: Okay
Kaelynn Priest: I thought I had one more. Is there anything else on your mind that you're like, "I really want people to hear this from me"?
Beth Martineau: Don't give up. Just please, you just can't give up. You're gonna get battered down. You're gonna have days where you just wanna throw in the towel. That's when you maybe take a break. I turn off everything in my house and I go outside or I go on a walk. The inspiration will come if you're listening to it.
You have to get rid of the noise, but don't give up. Y- you were called for a [00:43:00] reason,
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
Beth Martineau: to keep that reason close to your heart.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm.
Beth Martineau: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: I would also add to that I feel like this little last interesting season I've been through took a lot longer than I thought it would or wanted it to. So don't be surprised if, if it takes some time. And really good ideas don't usually hit you every single day, so
Beth Martineau: I say there's power in patience.
Kaelynn Priest: Oh, that's so good
Beth Martineau: 'Cause it's true. Where else do you learn lessons in your patience?
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm. In the waiting. That's so good. You're amazing. Thank you so much. I just... this, this is the kind of conversation I wish more people were having, more people were hearing. So real and raw and vulnerable, but also just... Something I really love about you is that it really is about your relationship with the [00:44:00] Savior.
Like, it really genuinely is. There are people who will say that it is, but it's still like, hmm, I don't know. But for you, it really, really is, like, down to the very bare bones of it, and I, really
Beth Martineau: I help people recognize that and feel that,
Kaelynn Priest: Yeah.
Beth Martineau: and I link that, again, my I- you know your identity. When, when you're a business owner, you have to have an identity and a mission statement for yourself, for your business, but also for yourself, and everything that you do has to be aligned with that mission statement and identity, or else it's not going to work
Kaelynn Priest: Oh, I have another question for you. Will you quickly tell us how you've done that? You told me the story about how you created
Beth Martineau: Yeah. I actually have a business coach or, like, someone that's helped me with this. Her name's Patty Lewis. She's absolutely amazing and has changed my life every single way. And I still... Uh, so I did, like, a thing, a program with her that was 12 weeks and has changed my life, but I still meet with her once a month just because we all need help and we all need alignment.
And that's where I [00:45:00] learned who I really was, what I'm supposed to be doing, and it aligned everything. It's not perfect, right? I still jump off. I still get lost. I still have those thoughts. But when I come back to that mission statement and knowing who I truly am, it's like magic. Every- everything, everything falls together.
And we also do... I also vision write every single day. Ooh, made me vision
Kaelynn Priest: okay. Tell me more
Beth Martineau: write. So the barn is actually part of my vision writing. In my heart, I always felt like I wanted a gathering place or somewhere where I could have people gathering or... And I didn't know the exact words, right? But, uh, that, that's where I started, right?
It was a little spark. And it's amazing to watch. I'm not gonna say magical, 'cause it's not. But it's, it's amazing to watch what the Lord is going to give you when you ask him, and that's kind of what our come follow me is this week exactly, too, right?
Kaelynn Priest: Yes
Beth Martineau: start vision writing and, uh, and realizing what you want in your life, and you start writing it down, [00:46:00] it's like things start happening, and that's another thing that she has taught me with my identity and my alignment and my vision writing.
It's just... It sounds a little kooky sometimes, but it... I- I fully... That's, that's where the business goes when I'm, when I'm doing that.
Kaelynn Priest: Hmm.
Beth Martineau: That make... Yeah.
Kaelynn Priest: that. I wish we would... Okay, so the next time we get on an episode, I already know what I'm gonna ask you. I wish we talked more about that too. I actually, I- that's like a piece of content I'm working on developing behind the scenes, like
Beth Martineau: Okay, good. Because it talk about more
Kaelynn Priest: how... Yes, right? Like, the, I feel like the New Age world will talk about manifestation, which,
Beth Martineau: Hmm
Kaelynn Priest: I love that as like a entryway for people to learn about the power they have to create things with God.
Beth Martineau: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: gets a little off for me when we're talking about creating with the universe and creating things that you want just because you want them instead of talking about [00:47:00] how to align your will with God's will and all those things. Anyway,
Beth Martineau: Yeah
Kaelynn Priest: I have tho- thoughts about that always in the back of my mind.
But, yeah, thank you for talking about the, the power of a desire and asking God
Beth Martineau: the Lord.
Kaelynn Priest: you with it. He's literally asked us
Beth Martineau: And it's never the way I thought. Same thing with,
Kaelynn Priest: 嗯
Beth Martineau: you know, 1 Kings 3:5. That's the same scripture. It's never the way we thought, but it's always way better than we could ever imagine. Ever. Like, and there's always something on the other side of it that we don't even see, that we might see in the eternities, right?
But it's His creation. It is not our creation.
Kaelynn Priest: Mm.
Beth Martineau: His.
Kaelynn Priest: Always
Beth Martineau: Always. Mm-hmm
Kaelynn Priest: So cool.
I love this.
Beth Martineau: Love it too
Kaelynn Priest: Again, thank you just for, for being so, so, so real and down to earth. I- it's so refreshing for me. I always... You know, you're a [00:48:00] friend of mine, so I always love talking to you, but I'm really grateful to be able to bring light and spirit into people's ears when they listen to this.
So
Thank,
you
Beth Martineau: thank you
